


Like To Get To Know You Well

by FreakingCrups, Sophia_Clark



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Marauders' Era, POV Remus Lupin, Pre-Slash, Rare Pairings, Studying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 19:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/891078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakingCrups/pseuds/FreakingCrups, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophia_Clark/pseuds/Sophia_Clark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus and Severus are actually starting to get along. Will James and Sirius ruin everything before it really begins?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like To Get To Know You Well

**Author's Note:**

> Written for round 9 of [daisychain_drab](http://daisychain_drab.livejournal.com).
> 
> Title from _Like To Get To Know You Well_ by Howard Jones.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

He was going to be late. It had taken him much longer than anticipated to help Peter with his Charms essay- Merlin help him but the boy was thick- and then Lily had been there, complaining about James as per usual. For such a bright girl, Remus wondered how much longer it would take her to realize that she wanted James just as much as he wanted her. Not long, if the looks she kept throwing Prongs' way were any indication.

By the time he made it out of the common room, it was already five of ten. He had exactly five minutes to get to the library, lest he wanted to find himself studying alone. He broke out into a run, utilizing many of the shortcuts that he and his friends had found over the years. Just as the library doors came into view down a corridor, they opened to reveal a dark figure emerging from within. The boy looked up as Remus almost ran into him, not having slowed down until the last moment.

"Sorry, Severus," Remus panted, clutching at a stitch in his side. "I came as fast as I could. Almost couldn't get away." Remus thought he saw a flicker of relief in Severus' dark eyes, but it was gone before he could be sure.

Severus’ lips twitched as though he wanted to sneer, but in effort to uphold their bargain, he nodded stiffly instead. They had made an agreement a week before to attempt to get along, at least for the time that they worked together on the essay they had been partnered in. Remus was surprised at how hard Severus was trying to keep the peace and he admired him for it. There had been times when it seemed like he was going to say something snarky and uncalled for, but he reined himself in before it slipped out of his mouth.

For the week that Remus had been working with Severus so far, he had learned a lot of things about the Slytherin. One of them being that he was far more intelligent than he showed, even in class. Remus found himself enjoying the other man’s company and Severus seemed to finally be relaxing a little more each day around Remus.

"Potter and Black again?" Severus finally said, pursing his lips as though it hurt just saying the names.

"No, not this time," Remus said with a smile. The last time he was late, it was because James and Sirius hadn’t let him go, complaining about the fact that he had to study with _Snivellus_.

"Right." Severus held the library door open for him. "Shall we?"

"Yes." Remus sent Severus a relieved look as he slipped inside the doors. The library was silent; very few students occupied it. He could only count two as it was and they looked like they were ready to pack up anyway. The thought of spending alone time in the library with Severus sent a shiver up his spine. It wasn’t fear, there was nothing about Severus that scared him, but he wasn’t quite sure he could define the feeling that sped through his body. It was like ice and fire at the same time, both chilled and heated.

Remus followed Severus to a table near the back of the library. Another thing he’d noticed was that Severus seemed to prefer staying away from other people as much as possible. Back here they could no longer see or hear the other students. They were virtually alone.

"I thought maybe you weren’t coming," Severus murmured once they had settled down at the table and produced their books. Remus glanced over at him, but Severus’ head was bent low over the text in front of him.

"I said I would be here, didn’t I?" He paused before adding, "I wouldn’t lie to you, Severus." At this, Severus raised his eyes to Remus’. He looked like he was about to argue, so Remus held up a hand to cut him off. "No, really. I don’t know about you, but I’ve enjoyed studying with you this week. I’d like to get to know you better."

Severus still looked skeptical, but there was also something that looked a lot like repressed hope in his expression. Remus took a steadying breath and said more firmly, "I’m not James or Sirius, and I don’t always agree with them. Especially about you, Severus."

Before Severus could do more than stare incredulously at him, Remus held up a hand once more. In the quiet of the library, it was easy to hear the shuffling footsteps approaching, as well as the familiar voices that accompanied them.

"...said he was going to the library again. I don’t see why Moony cares so much about classes anyway."

Remus heard Sirius’ deep chuckle in reply. "That’s our Moony. Always the responsible one." The fond note left Sirius’ voice with his next words. "He can study all he wants, so long as he’s not with _Snivellus_."

Remus saw Severus’ hand clench around his quill as the sneer returned to his face. After a moment of internal debate he began quickly and quietly packing up the few things he had out. When Severus caught his eye, he gestured for him to do the same.

At first Severus simply sat there staring at him, so Remus gestured more urgently. Severus sighed silently and finally followed suit, seemingly reluctantly.

When they had everything secured in their bags Remus stood, tugging lightly on Severus’ sleeve so he would come with him. Again Severus looked unsure, but as the sounds of James and Sirius’ approach grew louder, he sighed once more and followed Remus deeper back into the library.

"Huh, look’s like no one’s here, mate. Maybe we missed him going back to the dorm."

Remus tugged Severus behind a bookshelf as James’ words came from close by. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that they hadn’t brought the-

"You should've brought the map, Prongs. What did Wormtail want with it anyway?"

Remus’ sigh of relief was short-lived due to the fact that James’ reply came from the other side of their hiding place. He moved closer to Severus, while he tried to breathe as quietly as possible. He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt the need to hide from his best friends in the first place. He just knew that there was something trying to form between him and Severus, and he didn’t want a stupid, pointless rivalry to get in the way of that. Whatever _that_ was.

After a few tense minutes, James and Sirius decided that Remus must really have left, and their conversation got quieter and quieter until Remus could no longer hear them at all. He sagged forward and would most likely have fallen on his face if not for the hands that shot out to grip his shoulders.

"Easy there," Severus murmured, gazing at him with an unreadable expression. Remus felt himself blush as he stood and realized just how close they were. He could’ve counted Severus’ eyelashes if there’d been more light.

"Thanks," he said, voice coming out weird and hoarse. He felt very strange, like a hundred tiny Snidgets were beating their wings against his insides. He had no idea how long they stood there simply staring at each other, the air around them feeling oddly charged, but eventually Severus spoke again.

"I think I’d like to know you better as well, Remus," he whispered before leaning in impossibly closer and ghosting the suggestion of a kiss on Remus’ cheek. With that, he backed away, keeping eye contact until he reached the end of the row. Then in a soft swish of black fabric, he was gone.

Remus couldn’t keep the possibly goofy, definitely manic grin off his face all the way up to Gryffindor Tower. He suddenly couldn’t wait until his next study session.


End file.
